Thank you again for your caring thoughts. I am finding a few moments of peace each day to relax with this forum. No judging, no snide remarks, no snarkiness - just good folks wanting the best for each other. Thank you.

I am losing track of days and dates. Moving forward with visitation and funeral plans and no delay with the military honors funeral, so that's good. Thursday/Friday scheduled and DH thinks we'll be here through much of next week dividing, packing and leaving. He says I'm overly optimistic as I thought we'd be done by Monday or Tuesday... I have not taken off my peace sign necklace, and keep fingering it when I get frustrated ...

Didn't eat much yesterday in total, and ate a bit over calories today, I think. Not counting exactly. Weight on their scale here has been matching mine at home the last few visits (as in I weigh the day after I arrive and it's the same as I left home) ... and will use this as a barometer to not indulge too much. 159.8 and 160 this morning. Would be nice to get back home and not be above my ticker. THink it's a fluke I was below this morning.

DH was flying in tonight but flight was overly delayed and he's en route and will arrive tomorrow morning... rolling with the flow of how things are some days, so I'm proud of him.

OP today. I love our pediatrician, the boys had a good check-up. All are healthy, growing quickly, and cleared for another year. Oldest is now 1/4 inch taller than dh and looks like he'll grow a bit more still (ds is 15 and just over 6 ft.) My greens are almost gone, enough for a bit more tomorrow.

Beck FB Monday Motivation: Every time you go to bed after having a good eating day, you will feel great. And every morning you wake up after having had a good eating day the day before, you will feel great. This week, make a commitment to yourself to FEEL GREAT by committing to having a good eating week!

nationalparker So glad your dh will be with you soon. Glad the forum is a encouraging and safe place for you.
onebyone Wishing you a good weigh in tomorrow.

gardenerjoy Yikes - learning new technology quickly sounds stressful. I still have an old flip phone as my cell...in the dark ages here
FutureFitChick Wishing you the best getting back on track.

Debbie/Lexxiss It is always good to hear from you. So cool that you notice physical changes from healthy behavior, encouraging!

BillBlueEyes Small sweet sounds perfect. It is so hard to just eat a small bit when it is bigger. Kudos for your resistance in choosing only one!

Cheryl/GosfordGirl Welcome home. Sorry to hear about your aunt. Kudos for organizing/planning for the week.

Diet Coaches/Buddies – Exercise was waiting by my landline for the plumber to call. He never did. Not even to say he couldn't make it. Double Ouch. I'm now in emergency call mode. Seems that I'm not that good at recognizing that I've been stood up and moving on. Thank goodness I'm not still in the dating game, LOL.

Eating wasn't equal to my recent winning streak of a few days due to a large afternoon snack. Recognizing the obvious, snacking doesn't make the phone ring. I plan to be on plan today despite knowing in advance that it's going to be a challenge. The good news is that I finished reading The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - albeit 36 years late. It's a bit like Shakespeare in that I knew so many quotes and was discovering their context, e.g. "So long, and thanks for all the fish."

onebyone – Good luck at your TOPS weigh-in today. Ouch for art work left at the studio.

Joy (gardenerjoy) – Congrats for plunging into new smart phones. I'm one of the last of the dumb cell phone users.

Debbie (Lexxiss) – Kudos for asserting yourself and asking to move the cookies. Yay for the changing body.

Food was good yesterday and I finally put air in my tires (via handy tool) and rode my bike to a meeting. It felt great to know I hadn't forgotten. lol. Since I'm alone all week, I've been winging it with my food choices, staying lower carb and enjoying not having to cook for an underweight DH. It works well since I am stocked with OP foods. The bread heels kept speaking to me at work as did the little broken off pieces. I resisted all. Credit.
I don't have time for personals before work today but am remembering what nationalparker shared yesterday: " I am finding a few moments of peace each day to relax with this forum. No judging, no snide remarks, no snarkiness-just good folks wanting the best for each other. Thank you."So true!
Thank you all!
Have a great, OP and Beck centered day!

Yesterday defied planning, but my last-minute food choices were as good as the ones they substituted for, so I'm happy with that. Today, I have a written plan that I think will actually work.

I'm continuing my exercise streak, 'cuz why stop now? Of course, I’m lucky that I didn’t have a serious injury or illness in the past year. But, it’s also likely that the cause and effect runs the other way. My body likes low-intensity, high-consistency exercise. With that, I’ve rid myself of both over-use and under-use injuries and aches and pains. I also think that the mood-boosting and sleep-inducing effects of regular exercise improves my immune system. I might as well keep going with what works.

I am back from adventures beyond. A three day backpack with family was a challenge. We gained over a thousand foot elevation on an ungroomed trail - lots of boulders and logs. I am not the mountain goat I was when I gave up packing 13 years ago but I definitely saw improvement over the three days. All body parts are working (credit/gratitude). The rewards were three pristine alpine lakes and time with DS and DH. Previously, I had three days with old college friends at a spa. Weird juxtaposition of luxury then sleeping on rocks, eating top ramen.

As for food, credit for not being obsessed but DRAT for going overboard. I have gained a little more. Still, as many have said, the only failure is not coming back to post.

Welcome back BethfromDayton: I have had a 10lb gain while continuing to post. This is a long race. I have learned a great deal about treating myself with kindness and gentleness. These are long term wins.

Food is in Myfit. I already feel a rebellion about reigning myself back in (food wise) but I have read my "no choice" card.

nationalparker: I am so sorry about your continuing losses. This is a time in life to be gentle and generous with yourself. There is no wrong move to make. The most important thing is to show up and tell the truth.

OP so far for today. Met a doggie named "Skittles" while walking Teddy today. She is 7 and full of puppy energy. Helping oldest ds outline a 3000+ word paper he has to submit this week as his final for the leadership class he is taking. Also had a lady and her son over to visit. Her son is dyslexic like mine and we had a good talk then went to see the tadpoles growing. Will be late tonight, so checking in now. This week is full of social events, so I'll probably want to hide in a quiet place by the end of Friday.

Beck FB Tuesday Reality Check: It’s important to not be overly influenced by the number on the scale. If you see a higher number, you may get demoralized and overeat. If you see a lower number, you may think that it’s okay to loosen up and overeat. Remember – the number on the scale is just one point of information and shouldn’t impact how you eat on any given day.

maryann Welcome back. Sounds like an awesome backpack trip, beautiful. Kudos for coming back and resigning yourself to reigning in to healthy choices.

gardenerjoy Kudos for a lifestyle that allows choices to change but to remain healthy regardless. Awesome description: "My body likes low-intensity, high-consistency exercise." Writing that down to remember! Great ARC

Debbie/Lexxiss Kudos for resisting the call of bread and enjoying healthy choices during your week alone.

BillBlueEyes Kudos for a plan to be OP. Hope your plumber shows up soon!

I worked the whole day at the studio in the glorious summer heat. Awesome. Tomorrow back to the nice, but not so hot, weather. In fact, the new weather is blowing in right now. I can see flashes of heat lightning and hear some thunder. I always want to go stand out in the storm but I will continue this post in spite of the urge to do that!

My large art piece for the gallery show is unknowable to me in that I have no idea if it's any good. I took a lot of chances with the carving tools on it today, spending most of the day carving small bits of wood out to make small letter shapes and then re-doing it, sort of, bit by bit, adding paint, taking it off, walking away from it, taking pictures of it. Man. Such an ordeal. I decided to try to add to its surface something I have wanted to try for ages. I'm not sure it's going to work. I'll find out tomorrow. When this is done I will have completed 3 pieces. My friend, who is doing the gallery show with me, had sent me pictures of his work as he creates it at the same time as I am making mine. We both took the same amount of time to get to it and to be inspired, and we are both under the gun. I will be in Ottawa this weekend and so will transport his pieces here where we will have the show. I haven't planned an opening but really I should. I should celebrate the work we've done even if my friend can't be at the opening with me.

After I got home and picked DH up at work, I headed off to the TOPS weigh-in meeting and I was told I was down 2 1/4lbs for the week making me the biggest loser of the week and then I was handed a toonie ($2.00 Canadian coin), which, apparently is what TOPS does when you have the biggest weightloss of the week. I immediately thought Oh Good. Coffee money. And then, after that was done, there was the part of the meeting where you put money into the pot and then whoever has done that and then they have the biggest loss, well they get the pot the next week or they split it if it's a tie. I just couldn't bring myself to do that yet. The meeting was insanely boring, but one member, who wasn't there last week, assured me that in the fall, when everyone is back from holidays, the meeting does focus on weightloss and it is more serious. The way the group runs right now, someone who had no internet support (thanks Becksters) or didn't know to take what you want and leave the rest, well they'd be pretty turned off. Chatter around the table this week included tales of lost teeth-one woman left hers at the cottage and went toothless for the week. And the other story involved losing a bridge when they took theirs out and then absent-mindedly placed a head of lettuce onto the counter exactly over the bridge. After a call to the dentist to replace the bridge she went to the kitchen to make salad for her family and discovered the bridge stuck in the lettuce. The group does have two long term maintainers though. I have not asked how much they took off and how long they have kept it off. These ladies I am sure are in their 80's though. It is actually quite impressive and they were all genuinely happy for me and I for them and so I can cope until the "real meetings" begin in the fall.

So my official weight is 275 1/4lbs. Last week, right after the TOPS meeting I saw 280.3 on my wii fit so I am grateful for my first week's loss that's for sure. It is helpful to go there as I reigned it in many times over the last week knowing I'd be accountable for my actions, especially when the meeting/weigh-in time is 6:30pm. In a morning meeting you can get to the weigh-in empty, but no way for an eaarly evening meeting. I drank loads of water all day long as well since it was so hot. Anyway, whatever. It all evens out in the end.

I did do one not so great thing though. I held off on dinner until after the meeting and DH had it ready but it looked measly to my eyes. I ate it and thought wow so little food. I'm starving! I didn't say this out loud though. So after dinner I rooted around the fridge and ate two pre-cooked grilling sausages one after the other (I can eat these like candy). I felt better after having them, then the remaining two kept calling me so i went back for them and ate them really fast as I didn't want DH to catch me. *sigh* Low carb, not low cal, and really poor behaviour. These sausages get me every time. I need to just say NO to them altogether. They are definite trigger foods, as in I cannot have just one.

Have a good night.

__________________ 5lbs at a time. one * for every pound lost. RESTART:19/1/2015 - 284.8lbs

I am checking in early because I know I will get distracted and overwhelmed later (as I did last night) and won't get back here.

I had a good day with food yesterday - 100% OP. Today is shaping up the same way. I weighed myself yesterday nervously after my long weekend and weight still at ticker so that was a relief. Same weight today.

Haven't gotten to gym since last Thursday morning. Didn't go last night because forgot my shoes. Won't get there tonight because I have to complete something - hopefully I will squeeze in 2 sessions this week. At least I am walking the girls in the morning. They are in serious disgrace. I had a food mess yesterday. I put bones (bacon bones and brisket bones) in the slow cooker to make stock while at work but put a bit much in there. Got home late around 7 pm and the fat had risen to the surface and sloshed onto the floor around the island bench - and they had a party. Eating it of course but the truly revolting thing (beside the mess to clean up) was that they also rolled in it blissfully and spread it around the house. No wonder I didn't post.

Diet Coaches/Buddies – Plumbing success at last. After calling another plumber who advertised 24/7 emergency service (but hasn't called back yet) the original plumber finally answered his phone and said he'd "be there in fifteen minutes." He actually did arrive, albeit in 70 minutes, then did all the work that I needed in superb fashion. Huge CREDIT moi for getting this completed. My contribution of cutting various boards necessary to make the dishwasher fit was crucial to success. Glad that's done.

Eating and exercise were only OK - but CREDIT moi for not going off the charts with snacks due to the tension of waiting, waiting, and then dealing with a plumber who disdains homeowners because their work is never as good as his. He tolerates me because I provide value even though he resents it at the same time, LOL.

onebyone – Congrats for winning a toonie at TOPS - rewards are always a joy.

Debbie (Lexxiss) – Yay for the neurons that remember how to ride a bike even when they can't remember where the cars keys were left.

Cheryl (GosfordGirl) – Aghast at the image of your two dogs spreading fat around the house. Good luck finding all the places needed to clean up.

maryann - Yay that "pristine alpine lakes" still exist and that you're in good enough shape to hike up to them.

Beth (bethFromDayton) – Neat idea to plan to use your DH to distract away from food.

Tricia (AZtricia) - Good luck dealing with a week of social events. And Kudos for OP so far today.

Readers -

Quote:

day 20Get Back on Track

Yesterday, you learned about fooling-yourself thoughts that tend to talk you into giving in to desires and cravings. Today, you'll learn how to respond to a specific fooling-yourself thought - the one that encourages you to abandon your diet for the whole day after you've eaten something you weren't supposed to. Your thinking might go like this, I can't believe I let myself eat this! I've really blown it ... I might as well eat whatever I want for the rest of the day and start dieting again tomorrow.

Yesterday was a good food day....also a good work day....and I managed to find energy to accomplish my most procrastinated job of the Summer. Credit. Exercise was great-$1000 worth of bacon/eggs is a lot of running....great for my wallet, too. Grateful I can do it! I was supposed to be off today but the boss man asked me to come in instead of our newest gal. She's doing great the combo of the 3 gals scheduled just wasn't going to cut it. I'm glad for another day pounding the pavement and replenishing a bank account drained by a boiler. lol

I need to get going and wish I had more time to spend but checking in IS most important. I find lately, I don't have internet when I get home.

BBE, congrats on finally locating that plumber!

Cheryl(GosfordGirl), so sorry about the mess! I can relate. Love 'em but they can sure create a big mess, which can be an exhausting process to clean up, especially when you're already tired. I hope today is better.

MaryAnn, kudos on a successful backpacking trip. It's making me think of investing in a nice pack. It would be fun for DH and I to take even an overnighter....hmmm. He has a great pack since he's done 2 rim to rim tours of the Grand Canyon....maybe he could carry everything and I'd just take a day pack lol

Beth, I would like to share with you how I weaned myself off sweets. I had read a book about the nutrition found in vegetables and their importance to health and I started eating very large quantities of vegetables, especially ones I had avoided in the past. Every day I was eating large plates of steamed greens, broc, cauli, carrots, brussels sprouts, onions, mushrooms etc. I did this without making any other changes in my diet...which included carbs and sweets. After about 2 months of this I noticed that the sweets no longer held the appeal for me. My husband always has sweets in the house but I could pass them by very easily. This went on for several months. A week or so ago I started to think that I might be overdoing it on the veggies....too much of a good thing....and I cut back to normal servings. Within a couple days I was eating a piece of cake my DH had bought, potato chips, a grilled cheese sandwich with white bread. This is when I realized that the high nutrients in the veggies was keeping my body from craving junk food, and now I'm back to eating all the veggies again. Most people are skeptical when I tell this story, and it might be something that only happened to me, but it might also work for others.

Drum roll, please …….. One day OP. Planned food in MyFit last night for today (as suggested. Why do I not follow suggestions easily?) Step class in a half an hour. Credit for telling myself no choice yesterday when I was out for dinner with friends. Credit for tolerating hunger. And super credit for overloading my plate at lunch with a super trigger food (per Day 17 instructions) and not touching one bite!!!!! I saved the extra food for lunch today. This was a reaffirmation that I have control. I am not powerless.

AZTricia: I think I missed congratulating you on breaking the 200 pound barrier. Whoopee!!!!BBE: Always great excuses to eat - uncertainty and forced dependence on others. These are big triggers for me.onebyone: Congrats on the weight loss.Gosfordgirl: Never take a 100% day for granted. Super credit.Wannabehealthy: I agree that veggies ( and, for me, fruits) curb my appetite for non-nutritious sugar products. I have found that wheat triggers sugar cravings as well.Lexxiss: It is a dream of mine to backpack the Grand Canyon. I think that might be a retirement thing. Also, Bryce, Arches and Zion. And that Kauai trail (just googled and can't find name) that is paradise. My list goes on and on.BethfromDayton: Very true that today is another day.

I should have known it was too good to be true - one day without conflict/aggravation. DH keeps saying it'll take us awhile to split the estate up and pack and load what we'll be bringing home. He says I'm overly optimistic with the timetable I'm considering. But honestly, I don't want to be staying here with my sister longer than I need to after things are over. Just the games playing on so many fronts wears me down. Now supposed to be dividing some of the larger items (furniture) this evening. We'll see how this major challenge will go. I don't need to own a lot to be happy, but also don't think it's fair if one person ends up with 80% off the items.

Dinner was indulgent last night - shredded bbq chicken on a slice of garlic toast. Ordered fries as well, ate eight and left all of the rest. That was an accomplishment.